Bachmanns Explain Gay Comments, Express Love of Gay Stepsister

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann waves to supporters from her bus after winning the Iowa Straw Poll as her husband Marcus looks on in Ames, Iowa August 13, 2011.

Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and her husband Marcus, who is a Christian family and marriage counselor, sought to clarify comments on homosexuality and same-sex marriage in the October 31 edition of People Magazine. Just this past weekend at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s banquet, the Minnesota congresswoman reiterated her opposition on same-sex marriage.

In 2004 and prior to being elected to Congress, Michele Bachmann made comments, saying that involvement in homosexuality was similar to “personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.” Bachman has also taken heat over comments her husband reportedly made and using the term “barbarians.”

Both Bachmanns sought to clarity their positions on same-sex marriage and counseling strategies such as reparative therapy in the interview. Michele said that in spite of her beliefs, she was not “bashing” anyone and Marcus commented when asked about his prior comments, “There’s never been a bias. I’m no better than anyone else,” according to an article in The Huffington Post.

In July of this year, Marcus Bachmann’s Christian counseling center was targeted by an organization called Truth Wins Out, which sent someone posing as a patient into the clinic to secretly film a counseling session. The person asked a counselor if homosexuality could be cured through prayer or therapy. After the counselor replied in an affirmative fashion, the video went “viral” on the Internet and was used as an attack piece against Michele Bachmann.

While liberals and the left-leaning media have continued to criticize Bachmann over her view of homosexuality and same-sex marriage, she has not backed down even though she has a stepsister who is a lesbian.

“In my home state of Minnesota when it was extremely unpopular, I introduced the bill to define marriage as one man and one woman,” said Bachmann at the Faith and Freedom conference in Iowa on Saturday.

“And we persisted. And even after I left Minnesota, I worked with my successors and now Minnesota will be the first state to have on its ballot the definition of marriage as one man and one woman in this upcoming year. And as president of the United States I would fully support the federal marriage amendment to define marriage as one man and one woman.”

Bachmann’s stepsister, Helen LaFave, said in the interview that their relationship is “strained,” due to Bachmann’s activism. LaFave also said in the article, “Yes, we are family and we love each other, but she seems to have a disconnect. Her statements and actions related to gay rights are very hurtful, whether she understands that or not.”

Bachmann’s only reference to her stepsister in the article was, “I love her.”

Matt Szuman, an Iowa Republican, says he doesn’t understand why the press is making a big issue out of a Republican candidate’s stance on same-sex marriage and homosexuality.

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone when Republican candidates talk about confirming marriage between one man and one woman, especially in a Republican primary,” Szuman said. “Iowa Republicans and Republicans in general want to see pro-life and pro-family candidates. I’d like to see all the GOP candidates talk more about marriage issues on the stump, especially in the debates.”

But Bachmann’s faith remains steadfast, especially in light of recent criticism. Barbara Meyer, a 40-year friend of Bachmann, told People Magazine, “She so solidly connected with God, she can put up with a lot."

The Christian Post made multiple attempts to contact the Bachmann campaign for a comment. However, no one replied prior to publication.